MESA, Ariz. — In an offseason that’s confounded onlookers for months now, the Cubs have emerged as one of the few contenders to have their roster settled at the opening of spring training.

With a few exceptions, nearly every other team that has its sights set on the postseason, rather than the top of the 2019 draft, will be facing questions about who might be added in the coming days and weeks or why the team isn’t being aggressive with so many impact players still available.

The Cubs, on the other hand, can just focus on the task at hand.

“I think it was very important to have [Yu Darvish] here on day one,” general manager Jed Hoyer said the day before pitchers and catchers were expected to report. “The transition for any player going into a new situation is difficult, no matter who it is. We felt like if we were going to add a pitcher, we were going to do it before camp. That was something that was very important.”

At his introductory...

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